Collapsible container



S. L. WALKER AND J. M. LAURENSON. COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.24. r920.

Patented July 13, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- avwewfoz Jbhn flaws/won UNITED STATES. "P OFFICE.

strouen'ron L. WALKER AND JOHN 1VI.-LAURE1\TSON, or JERSEY s em PENNsYL VANIA.- I

conmirsrntn CONTAINER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, S'roUeHToN L. amina and JOHN M. LAURENSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Jersey Shore, in the county of Lycoming" and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Gontainers, of which the following'is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in collapsible or knockdown boxes and the like, and more particularly to a type of the same adapted for shipment and reshipmcnt by parcel post, express or freight.

Among other objects of the invention, it

' is desired, primarily, to provide a box or similar container constructed of relativelyfeatures of construction and arrangement of I parts as will be hereinafter morefully de scribed, set forth in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accom'panyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a view, in perspective, of the invention when ready for shipment.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof when collapsed, or ready for reshipment.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the box showing the overlap of the hinged corner strips of the side walls.

' Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the box in collapsed condition.

Fig. 5 is afragmentary longitudinal section of the box as in Fig.1.

66 ofFig.5. r

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detailed interior view of a side and bottom wall and the hinge and interlocking connections between respective corner reinforcing strips.

Fig. 8 is an elevation'of the inner face of one of the end wall reinforcing strips showing the manner of hinging the side wall Fio. 6 is a transverse section on the line Application 'filed January 24,1920, Serial No. 353,673.

7 Specification of Letters Patent Patented J 1 3,

and of interlocking the same in elevated p0 s1t1onw1th'the adjacent corner strip of a side wall.

Fig. 9 is a, fragmentary detail showing the manner of securingthe upper end'of the intermediate reinforcing strip of'the side walls of the container.

Referring to the drawings, and the several views thereof, the box per 86 is formed-to provide a-bottom wall 1 having relatively narrow side wall portions 2 and 3 secured to the opposite longitudinal edges thereof by means of nails, screws or the like, (not shown), the side wall portion 3 being of slightly greater width than the side wall portion 2, as-shown in Figs. t'and 6; folding side walls l'and 5complemental tothe side wall portions 2 and 3, respectively; end walls 7 and 8 slightly less inheight than the combined height of the sidewalls 4 and 5v above the upper face of the latter. The-verti'cal flanges 13 are of greater length than that of the horizontallflanges 12,wl1ich are of a length coextensive with the width-of the bottom wall, and have their opposite ends lt' bent around the adjacent edgesof the side wall portions 2 and 3 and aresui't- Secured between theably secured thereto. v flange portions 13 and 1 1 and the adjacent edges and faces of the bottom 1 and the side wall portions 2 and 3, at the corners thereof,

are angular members 15 and 16, the former corresponding in height to the sidewall portion 2 and the latter to that of the side wall portion 3. .rEach pair of the angular members 15 and 16 are formed toprovide transversely disposed hinge members 17 and 18, respectively, integral with the flanges thereof engaging the edges of the opposite ends of the bottom 'wall andthe side wal portions carried by thelatter.

The side walls 4: and 5 are each provided i at their opposite ends with corner reinforcing strips 19 and 20, respectively, each being formed substantially L shaped' in cross- ;section to provide flanges 21 and 22, the

former being secured on the outer faces of the walls and corresponding in length to the height of the same, while the latter project r and 16, respectively. The hinge members 23 of the side wall 4 overlap the complemental hinge members 17 of the angular corner members 15, in contacting'relation with the inner wall thereof, and are secured in such relation by means of rivets or the like 25, while the hinge members 24 of the sidewall 5 similarly overlap the complemental hinge members18, ofthe angular corner members 16, but are disposed in contactingrelation with the outer wall thereof, and secured in position bymeans of the rivets 26. r

The end walls 7 and 8 areeach provided with pairs of reinforcing strips 27 and 28, respectively, secured'in spaced relation on thegouter'faces thereof and having. their outer edges disposed. flush with the side edges of the same. The lower ends of the strips 27.and 28 are provided withcircular studs 29 projecting laterally therefrom and disposed in engagement with elongated slots or recesses 30 formed inthe opposed inner faces ofthe side wall portions 2 and 3, (see F igs.,7 and- 8),.the purpose of which arrangement will be hereinafter more fully described. Theend walls 7'and 8 are retained in place between the side walls '4 and 5, when all ofgthese walls are raised to vertical position, by means of tongue portions 31,- formed in one edge of ea'ch of the strips 27 and 28, and which are adaptedto interlock with the openings-or recesses 32 formed 7 in the flanges 22 of the angular corner. members '19 and 20.. Each of the strips 27 and 28 have their lower ends flush with the bottom, edge of the end walls, but are of a length. admitting of their upper ends to" projectpabove the top edgesthereof.

With the side and end walls in raisedvposition and interlocked together by means of the tongues 31, engaging the recesses 32, the top wall or cover 9 is placed in position between .the side walls 4and 5 with itsropposite ends resting on the top edges of the end walls 7 and 8 and is held against longitudinal movement byv means of the upwardly projecting ends of the strips 27 and 28. The top wall or cover9 is reinforced along its opposite ends by means .of transverse battens -33 which act toprevent the splitting or warping of thesame. To secure. the top wall or cover 9 against accidental dis- 7 and for the retention of the adjacent ends placement or removal, transversely extending cross-bars 34 are provided,.the same being suitably spaced on the top face thereof and pivoted, as at 35, medially of their ends, and are adapted to be moved into ahd out of engagement with slotted recesses v 36 formed at suitable points in the top edges of the side walls 4 and 5. The top edges of the walls 4 and5 are protected by means of reinforcing strips 37, of even length therewith, and securedthereon by means of nails or other similar fastening means, and intermediate portions thereof serve as the top wall or closure for the slotted recesses 36 ofthe cross-bars 34 therein.

Depending upon the length of a container, constructed as hereinbefore described, it is contemplated to provide intermediate reinforcing strips for the side walls (only being shown for each of the side Walls 4 and 5in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drayving) and the same consists of short strip sections 39 secured to the outer facesof the side wall portions 2 and 3, respectively, and long strip sections 40 and 41 secured vertif cally' of the side walls 4 and 5 'andcomplemental to the sections 39 and having hinged connections respectively therewith, as indicated by the numerals 42' and 43. The upas per ends of the long strip sections 40 and 41 are bent to provide end portions 44 which are adapted to seat in slight recesses formed in the top edges of the side walls'immediately under the reinforcing strip 37, and ser00 cured in position by means of one of the fastening elements of the latter as shown in Fig. 9. The hinge connections 42 and 43 betweenthecomplemental strips project inwardly of coincidal slotted recesses, formed in opposed edge portions of the comple mental side wall sections, so as to lie inthe plane of the correspondinglhinge connections at the opposite ends of the latter.

With the container assembled in the manner as set forth in the foregoing description of its construction and arrangement, .the same is to be collapsed for storage orship-. ment in the'manner as shown in Figs. ;2, 3 and 40f the drawings, and to such end, the cover-is first unfastened by swinging the cross-bars 34 diagonally of the'same and out of engagement with the recesses 36 and is removed. The end walls:7a'nd-8 are now to be unlocked by the disengaging of the tongues 31 from the recesses 32,. and this is accomplished by a sufficient upward movement of the end walls, such movement being permitted by reason of the play of the circular. studs 29', of the-reinforcing strips 27 1.25 and 28, in thevertically elongated slots, re-

-cesses or openings-32 of=the side wall portions 2 and 3', untilthe tongues are free to be drawn' through the recesses 32, ::after which the end walls are swunginwardly H0 the latter to lie flat on the bottom wall, and this arrangement, together with the interlocking of the'tongues 31 with the recesses 32 also attained through the same, constitrite-extremely important features of the invention. The top wall or cover 9 is now positioned upon the end walls 7 and 8 with its reinforcing strips 33 and cross-bars 34 uppermost so that its bottom surface lies fiat upon the upper surfaces of the end walls, and afterwhich, the sidewalls 4 and 5 are swung downwardly,in the order indicated, the former being supported upon the reinforcing strips 33 and the cross-bars 34 and the wall 5 flat upon the upper surface of the wall 4.

In the reverse manipulation of the several parts of the container, the side walls A and 5 are swung upwardly to vertical position, the cover 9 removed from its position on the end walls 7 and 8, and the latter swung upwardly to vertical position between the side walls 4 and 5 at the opposite ends thereof, and with a slight direct vertical movement, permitted by the hinge members 29 sliding in recesses 30, the tongues 31 are brought into alinement with the recesses 32 of the pairs of angular corner strips 19 and 20, and, by further outward swinging movement of the end walls, are passed through the recesses 32 and are then engaged over the bottom edge ofthe latter by a slight downward pressure on the end walls, thus holding the side and end walls in substantially interlocked position. 1 The cover 9, after the container has been packed or filled with the desired contents to be shipped, is now placed in position and secured in the manner as hereinbefore described.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that the invention provides for a simple and inexpensive container construction, the materials necessary for the several walls of the same being of minimum thickness and weight for a given sizeof the same, and by the application and arrangement of the several reinforcing strips and members a relatively strong, and with the interlocking features thereof, a substantially rigid construction is obtained.

.It will also be obvious that, while the preferred form and features of construction and arrangement have been shown and described, it is within the scope of the invention to so modify such construction and arrangement as may be necessary for the manufacture of containers of varying size or shape, and increasing the number of the several reinforcing strips and interlocking members thereof accordingly with such variation of size and shape.

.Having thus fully described our invention, what We claim is a r 1. A collapsiblecontainer having a bottom wall, infolding end and side walls, and

a removablecover wall, sliding hinge connections for the infolding endwalls, reinforcingv members for the several corners and edges of the container walls, and normally non-alining interlocking means formed-with adjacent'corner reinforcing strips of the end and side walls, said interlocking means being operatively engaged for securing the end andside walls in vertical position by a vertical reverse directional movement of the end walls. 2. A collapsible containe'rhaving a bottom wall, side wall portions secured to the longitudinal edges thereof, infolding side walls hingedly supported above said side wall'portions, infolding end walls, and a.

removable cover wall, movable connections hingedly retaining the infolding end walls in position, reinforcing members for the sev- 1 eral corners and edges of the container walls, and normally non-alining interlocking means formed with adjacent corner reinforcing strips of the end and side walls, said interlocking means being operatively engaged for securing the end and side walls in vertical position by a vertical reverse directional movement of the end Walls.

3. A collapsible container having a bottom wall, side wall portions secured to the longitudinal edges thereof, infolding side walls hingedly supported above said'side wall portions, infolding end walls, and a removable cover wall, movable connections hingedly connecting the end walls and operating to permit the latter to normally lie in contacting relation with respect to the top surface of the bottom wall, reinforcing members for the several corners and edges of the container walls, and normally nonalining interlocking means formed with adjacent corner reinforcing strips of the end and side walls, said interlocking means being operatively engaged for securing the end and side walls in vertical position by a vertical reverse directional movement of the end walls. g

4:. A collapsible container having a bottom wall, fixed side wall portions rising from the longitudinal edges thereof, infold- -ing side walls hingedly supported above the fixed side wall portions, infolding endwalls hingedly connected with the fixed side wall portions and arranged for a limited vertical movement with respect thereto, and a re-' movable cover wall, reinforcing members for the several corners and edges of the container walls, and normally non-alining interlocking means formed with adjacent corner reinforcing strips of the end and side walls, said interlocking means being operatively engaged for securing the end andside walls in vertical position by a vertical re-v versedirectional movement of the end walls.

5. A collapsible container having a bottom wall, fixed side wall portions rising from the longitudinal edges thereof, in.-

' folding side walls hingedly supported-above the fixed side wall portions, infolding end walls hingedly connected with the fixedside wall portions and arranged for a limited vertical movement with respect thereto, and a removable corner wall, reinforcing 7' members for the several corners and edges.

of the containerwalls, normallynon-alininginterlocking means formed with. adjacent' corner reinforcing strips of the end. and

' side Walls, said interlocking means being operatively engaged for securing the end. and side wallsin vertical position by a vertical reverse directional movement of the end walls, and locking: means for the cover Wall. 7

6. A collapsible container having" a bottom Wall, fixed side Wall portions rising nam'rai from the. longitudinal edges thereof, infolding side wallsrisi-ng above. the fixed. side wall: portions,infolding end walls hingedly. I

connected withthefixed side wall portions and arranged: for a. limited vertical move:-

ment with respect thereto, and removable cover wall,..rein=forc1ng members for the several cornersv and. edgesof thecontainer walls, certaln. of said reinforcing members being formed to provide hinge connections for the infolding. sidewalls, normally none alining interlocking. means formed with adjacent corner reinforcing strips of the end- JOHN M; LAURENSON.

s'r'oUoH'roN L.- WALKER. I 

